Mrs Beeton must be turning in her grave!

According to Telegraph columnist Rose Prince“feminism is to blame” and understandably, that’s got a lot of feminists wound up and hot under the collar… Good job it wasn’t a bloke who used the F-word or we could have been facing a national crisis of domestic Armageddon!

Since Ms Prince first wrote on the subject, a veritable hornets nest of male and female culinary opinion has issued forth. The broadsheets and tabloids have also been full of opposing views on the topic. In Women’s Views on NewsAlison Clarke was almost incandescent with feminine rage…

So, was Rosie Boycott (who started the UK feminist magazine Spare Rib in the 1970s) on hand to save the day? Was she hell. Instead she said feminism could not be blamed for some of its unintended consequences. Unintended consequences? Give me strength. (Read more)

Whenever there is a (supposedly adult) discussion about domestic chores, or even the broader issue of family values, it turns into something radical, why is that? Why is there always an element who have to jump on the sexist or male chauvinist pig band wagon? I suppose (in many ways) it can be likened to radicalization of opposing religious views caused by topical passion. Is this constant use of the feminism cuddgle really necessary or indeed, what Emmeline Pankhurst and her fellow suffragettes chained themselves to railings for?

Mrs Beeton’s book of household management may have been written in the days when, men were the ‘bread winners’ and the women did the toasting however, aren’t we supposed to have moved on from sexist viewpoints? Isn’t the fundamental aim of the feminist to crush stereotypical images, thereby creating equal opportunity? Doesn’t the constant playing of the F-Card only perpetuate what women are supposedly trying to quell?

Today’s lack of ‘home cooking‘ (I suspect) has very little to do with any male/female issue and far more to do with (1) time factors, (2) actual cooking ability, irrespective of sex and (3) a change in family values and priorities. The majority of us live life at constant warp drive speeds ones that even the Starship Enterprise would have difficulty maintaining. Society has also suffered from generations who have grown up believing; all meals are pre-packed, pre-prepared and come out of tins or packets failing that, you just go and buy them at the nearest fast food outlet. As for kitchen gender, it has little or no relevance on the cooking process… I have to wonder, is it a case of Can’t Cook, Won’t Cook?

Profesional cooking has (almost exclusivly) long been a male preserve. The fastest growing gender group interested in cookery as a hobby is actually male and, I know of just as many (if not more) men who actually do the cooking at home. Therefore, it’s also nonsensical for people to try and lay the blame for no home cooking exclusivley at male feet?

I tend to (partly) agree with Rosie however, the lack of home cooking actually has little to do with sex in the kitchen (although it may make a pleasent change from the bedroom)!